As for his own series of performances, while he wasn’t suffering from any vocal issues, Scotty said he left the stage feeling like he had exhausted everything his 17-year-old body had to offer.

“I feel, for me, I went out there and I did my best and I just left everything on the stage, so our work here is done and it’s up to America now,” he said.

“She says, ‘Ditto,’” Scotty added, quoting Lauren.

One of the biggest moments of Tuesday night’s final was Lauren’s performance of the Jimmy Iovine selected original song, “Like My Mother Does,” which the 16-year-old sang to her mom in the audience.

The moment brought Lauren’s mother to tears, and nearly Scotty too.

“For me, I was about to cry when she was singing because both of our moms have been here through the whole thing ‘cause we’re minors and we had to have a parent [here],” he said. “So that song, it was touching to me and it was touching to her, I’m sure. She was crying I was about to, I was watering up.”

Beyond Lauren’s big closing number, the two “Idol” hopefuls admitted they were grateful to the country music community for helping them get so far in the competition.

“Country fans have been so great to both of us,” Scotty said. “The only reason we’re here is because of them and we’ve just been singing our hearts out and luckily been here every week.”